The objective of DARRA project is to decrease the digital divide in remote and rural areas among the partner regions, through boosting the usage of ICT by SMEs and the public sector, and improve the overall regional competitiveness. DARRA capitalises on the findings of BIRRA project. The digital divide is a handicap inter-and intra-regionally and o... More...
The objective of DARRA project is to decrease the digital divide in remote and rural areas among the partner regions, through boosting the usage of ICT by SMEs and the public sector, and improve the overall regional competitiveness. DARRA capitalises on the findings of BIRRA project. The digital divide is a handicap inter-and intra-regionally and one indicator of a region’s peripherality. DARRA project, through the strengthened regional ICT–applications leading to (i) reinforced exchanges with more central & developed regions, (ii) more complete regional ICT-related applications, and (iii) jointly developed approaches, will reduce effectively and sustainably the peripheral character of the partner regions.
DARRA project will create a vision of year 2013 regarding life styles in peripheral areas and / or sparsely populated regions. This vision will be a guide to developing ICT strategies in peripheral regions. The e-Ladder model which was developed in BIRRA will be used for this purpose by the partner regions, takeing one step forward in selected domains of the e-Ladder. This means very concrete steps in regional ICT development. The actions in this project will lead to raised awareness and ICT uptake among SMEs and the public sector. Participating regions are Lapland and Kainuu in Finland, Västernorrland in Sweden, Sogn og Fjordane in Norway, Derry in Northern Ireland (UK), and Border Midland West (Donegal & Galway) and Mid West Region in Ireland.
The end users of the project are the micro businesses together with SMEs and public authorities which can improve their operations by taking new IT-services into use.
The overall objective of the project is to catch up the digital divide between sparsely populated / rural areas and urban areas. Sparsely populated and rural areas are still suffering from lack of ICT uptake and very often from less effective ICT solutions both in the private and the public sectors. However, there is a strong motivation and need to... More...
The overall objective of the project is to catch up the digital divide between sparsely populated / rural areas and urban areas. Sparsely populated and rural areas are still suffering from lack of ICT uptake and very often from less effective ICT solutions both in the private and the public sectors. However, there is a strong motivation and need to use ICTs more effectively in such regions as a way of counteracting the problems of long distances both within these regions as much as from more central areas. In many parts of rural regions broadband networks and relevant hardware are no longer an obstacle for using the available services but implementation of these services is the problem for businesses as well as for the public sector. After this project, rural regions will benefit from more competitive business environment, more effective public services and more efficient development of ICTs.
The main objectives:
ICT vision for remote and sparsely populated areas
Developing ICT maturity of SMEs in sparsely populated and rural areas
Effectively address obstacles hindering ICT uptake & maturity of SME:s in peripheral regions and increase in a measurable way ICT uptake and e-Commerce performance of 20 SME:s in the partner regions. Effectively address obstacles hindering ICT uptake & maturity of SME:s in peripheral regions and increase in a measurable way ICT uptake and e... More...
Effectively address obstacles hindering ICT uptake & maturity of SME:s in peripheral regions and increase in a measurable way ICT uptake and e-Commerce performance of 20 SME:s in the partner regions. Effectively address obstacles hindering ICT uptake & maturity of SME:s in peripheral regions and increase in a measurable way ICT uptake and e-Commerce performance of 20 SME:s in the partner regions.
Effectively address obstacles hindering ICT uptake & maturity of SME:s in peripheral regions and increase in a measurable way ICT uptake and e-Commerce performance of 20 SME:s in the partner regions.
To make a significant contribution to the uptake of e-business processes by SMEs and micro businesses, and the stimulation of regional “e-services” markets, through strategic selection and implementation of a number of public or government “e-services” directed at business. It achieves this by using its dominant position for the supply of certain services to strongly encourage SMEs to utilise these services in their “e-form”. This includes local development groups working in the public interest
DARRA project have worked together with over 60 SMEs in the northern periphery. Level of ICT maturity have been indicated with e-ladder (measurement tool developed in DARRA-project) tool to bring up the real development needs of each company. Development activities are ongoing and after that the SMEs ICT maturity level will be measured again to see... More...
DARRA project have worked together with over 60 SMEs in the northern periphery. Level of ICT maturity have been indicated with e-ladder (measurement tool developed in DARRA-project) tool to bring up the real development needs of each company. Development activities are ongoing and after that the SMEs ICT maturity level will be measured again to see the development steps that companies have taken. The case studies will be published on base of this work.
DARRA is working also with public organisations and is developing public services together with regional public organisations. Services like electronic public procurement or electronic invoicing are services that will bring cost savings both to public and private organisations. This way both, public and private organisations, are getting benefit form DARRA project.
ICT-vision 2013 is developing and debut on regional ICT development is going on in all DARRA regions. The ICT-vision will guide and is guiding already the development work in all project regions by bringing up the development needs and questions to public discussion.